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Protection Team News BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING Time to Be Hopeful
The end of 2022 is quickly approaching and 2023 is right beyond it — whether we like it or not. Looking back at 2022 leaves me with mixed emotions.
Legislature should have been completed. Hopefully, they finally addressed a massive problem. I hope they find the intestinal fortitude to make the hard
VOL 15, ISSUE 2
Yes, there were some very good things that happened, but there were some very bad things as well (Hurricane Ian is at the top of that list). But each and every one of those memories is just a memory, and I am truly blessed with having some very amazing people in my life that I get to share the good and the bad with, and for that I am truly thankful. 2023 is going to be another busy and eventful year in the Vermost household. We will have the great
decisions that need to be made to once and for all fix this issue. If they fail to fix it and the state gets another direct hit in next year’s hurricane season, they should all be removed from office for official misconduct or dereliction of duty. Yes, that sounds rather harsh, but we elected them to do a job. Now, they need to do it or be fired. This proverbial can has been kicked down the road for way too long. It has finally come back to bite us in the backside, in our wallets! Enough insurance for now ... I would like to turn the page, chapter, and year, and wish each and every one of you a very merry Christmas, happy Hannukah, and a
The Season of Hopefulness Page 1 Not Everyone Welcomes the New Year the Same Page 2 Protect Yourself With Renter's Insurance Page 2 All About Knocker- Ups: England's Human Alarm Clocks Page 3 Check Out Our Referral Program! Page 4 Wacky January Holidays Page 5 Slow Cooker Chicken and White Bean Stew Page 5
fortune of watching both girls graduate:
Noelle and her fiancee celebrating the holidays
Noelle with her master’s degree and Ainsley with
her bachelor’s degree. In addition, in the fall of 2023, we will be celebrating Noelle’s wedding and gaining an amazing son-in-law. This is just the tip of the iceberg for us in 2023. Noticed what I haven’t talked about yet? Insurance! I was debating whether to mention it this month. But with so much going on, I had to talk about it. By the time you read this, the special session of the Florida
safe and joyous New Year. Please remember that if you did receive a very sparkly, beautiful gift under the tree this year, give our office a call and get it insured! From my family to yours, happy New Year! Until next year, –Darren
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December Referrals and Puzzle Winner! Page 6
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Toll free (800) 828-2226 Fax (727) 577-4991
www.vermost.com newsletter@vermost.com
THE POWER OF RENTER'S INSURANCE Fires, burglaries, floods, and tornadoes can be devastating. So, if you rent your home or apartment, renter's insurance is essential to protect you and your possessions. It’s a good idea to take inventory of your costly items, including cellphones, tablets, jewelry, smartwatches, televisions, and firearms. Not only does it cover damages and pay for repair and replacement of lost and stolen items, but it covers any liabilities you may be responsible for in the event someone gets injured at your home. For example, what would happen if your dog bit someone’s child, a party got out of hand at your apartment and someone got hurt, or a friend got electrocuted while installing a new fan? It's a common misconception that a landlord’s insurance will protect renters. The landlord’s insurance only covers the physical structure, but not the belongings inside the dwelling. So, if a hurricane were to hit, the exterior roof would be covered on the landlord’s end, but your dining room table that was damaged by water after the roof was damaged is not covered. This is where your personal renter’s insurance would come into play.
NEW YEAR, NEW PERSPECTIVES New Year’s Traditions Around the World 2023 has arrived, so it's time to plan for the year ahead and set some resolutions. On Dec. 31, as the clock struck midnight, you likely celebrated the New Year with fireworks, parties, noise makers, the ball drop, music, celebration hats, and confetti. But around the world, not everyone celebrates the same way. Check out some of these traditions others use to ring in the new year! Colombia Who doesn’t love to travel? In Colombia, many carry an empty suitcase or two around the neighborhood, hoping to bless the coming year with many chances to travel. Spain In Spain, you may catch some natives eating exactly 12 grapes, one for each clock strike once midnight arrives. Each one represents good luck for each month in the new year. In larger cities such as Barcelona and Madrid, they gather to eat grapes together in the main squares. Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Bolivia In these Central and South American countries, the new year is celebrated with lucky underwear! The most common colors are red, intended to welcome love in the upcoming year, and yellow, which is said to bring about prosperity. Greece If you were to visit Greece on New Year’s Eve, you might see onions — thought to symbolize rebirth — hanging on the front doors of every home. On New Year’s Day, parents wake their children by gently tapping them on the head with the onions. Philippines In the Philippines, people use round shapes to represent coins that symbolize prosperity in the new year. Some even display round fruit, such as grapes, on their dining room table and, like people in Spain, will eat 12 at midnight. Denmark To get rid of evil spirits, the people of Denmark will throw old plates and glasses against their friends’ and families’ front doors. Then to “leap” into the new year with good luck, they stand on chairs and jump off! What New Year’s traditions do you have?
Vermost Insurance Now has a relationship with Chuck Chucri, who offers financial planning and investment
Did You Know ...
advisory services!
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1200 Belcher Rd. S., Suite 1
Largo, FL 33771-3315
Phone: (727) 748-2886
BEFORE ALARM CLOCKS, KNOCKER-UPS HELPED PEOPLE
The best part is that renter’s insurance is affordable. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, in 2022, renter’s insurance policies ranged from $15-$30 a month. It’s important to remember that your monthly cost will depend on many factors, including the type of coverage you require, how much coverage is needed, where you live, and your deductible. We have the answers to all of your renter’s insurance questions and concerns. We are here to help determine if renter’s insurance is right for you. Give us a call today so we can help you protect yourself and your belongings from the unexpected.
How These Early Morning Heroes Roused the Sleeping
Until the 1940s, alarm clocks were a luxury few people in the English working class could afford. Unfortunately, some of these devices could be unreliable and caused people to miss appointments or oversleep. This ultimately gave birth to “knocker-ups,” the human alarm clocks people hired to wake them up. Being a knocker-up became popular during the Industrial Revolution, especially in cities where technical innovation boomed, and many citizens were due at factory jobs before the sun came up. In some towns, residents set slate boards against their outside walls to write their weekly work schedule; this way, any knocker-up would know when to wake them. These boards became so common that people referred to them as “knocky-up boards” or “wake-up slates.” Knocker-ups were paid a few pence each week to wake their clients before work, and each knocker-up generally had a route full of clients to wake at different times. The thing is, they didn’t just stand at the door and knock. Knocker-ups became famous for using poles to tap on clients’ second- story bedroom windows. Some even attached soft hammers or rattles to the ends of the rods to create a more startling sound when they tapped. Typically, this job was taken on by older men who were past their working age or women who needed income to support their families. Police officers also considered this a good side job to earn extra money. Many of them simply completed their morning patrol, then stopped by to wake clients living along their regular routes. However, the most famous knocker-up, and allegedly the last to exist, is Mrs. Molly Moore. Her mother was a knocker-up, and Molly continued her legacy after she passed. This mother-daughter duo became known for their unique knocking methods; instead of long poles, the two used a rubber tube as a make-shift pea shooter and pelted clients’ windows with dried peas. Whatever the method, a knocker-up wouldn’t leave until their client came out the door and headed on their way to work. While history may have long forgotten about these early- morning heroes, their reliability and commitment are what ultimately allowed thousands of employees to make it to work on time.
CALL FOR DETAILS OR TO MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY (727) 748-2886 Chuck Chucri, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, FLMI Financial Advisor The Prudential Insurance Company of America Prudential.com/advisor/chuck-chucri Our financial advisors and financial planners offer financial planning and/or investment advice through Pruco Securities, LLC (Pruco), under the marketing name Prudential Financial Planning Services (PFPS). A financial advisor or financial planner offers securities products and services as a registered representative of Pruco and offers insurance products as an agent of issuing insurance companies. 1-800-778-2255 Vermost Insurance is an independent organization and is not an affiliate of Prudential Financial.
1007626-00005-00
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Toll free (800) 828-2226
Fax (727) 577-4991
www.vermost.com
newsletter@vermost.com
2023
INSPIRING HAPPINESS!
2023 REFERRAL WINNER!
We want to thank everyone who referred their friends, family, and coworkers to Vermost Insurance throughout 2023. When you refer someone to us, you receive rewards for each referral and are entered into monthly and annual drawings for additional, even bigger prizes. Your referrals mean a lot to us, and we want to reward you for helping us grow our Vermost Insurance family. The annual grand prize winner of our 2023 referral program is NAME. He received a 55-inch 4K TV plus a $250 donation to a charity of HIS/ HER choice. If you want a shot at next year’s prize, keep sending referrals our way. Your referrals make us happy, and we hope our referral program makes you happy, too!
NAME is our 2023 referral winner of the 55-inch 4K TV, plus a $250 donation to a charity of his choice.
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1200 Belcher Rd. S., Suite 1
Largo, FL 33771-3315
Phone: (727) 748-2886
1200 Belcher Rd. S. Suite 1 ● Largo, FL 33771-3315 ● Phone: (727) 748-2886
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Wacky January Holidays
• January 1- Apple Gifting Day • January 2- National Buffet Day • January 3- National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day • January 4- National CanDo Day • January 5- National Whipped Cream Day • January 6- National Cuddle Up Day • January 7- I’m Not Going To Take It Anymore Day • January 8- National Bubble Bath Day • January 9- National Clean Your Desk Day • January 10- National Bittersweet Chocolate Day • January 11- National Girl Hug Boy Day • January 12- Stick To Your New Year’s Resolution Day • January 13- National Blame Someone Else Day • January 14- National Dress Up Your Pet Day • January 15- National Pot Hole Day
• January 16- Appreciate A Dragon Day • January 17- Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day • January 18- National Winnie The Pooh Day • January 19- National Tin Can Day • January 20- National Cheese Lover’s Day • January 21- National Cheesy Socks Day • January 22- National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day
• January 23- National Pie Day • January 24- Belly Laugh Day • January 25- Opposite Day
• January 26- National Peanut Brittle Day • January 27- National Fun At Work Day • January 30- National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day • January 31- Eat Brussels Sprouts Day
WORD SEARCH!
Inspired by EatingWell.com
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN AND WHITE BEAN STEW
Ingredients
• 4 15-oz cans cannellini
• 2 1-lb bone-in chicken breasts
beans, drained and rinsed
• 6 cups chicken broth • 1 cup chopped yellow onion • 1 cup sliced carrots • 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary • 1 4-oz Parmesan cheese rind
• 4 cups chopped kale • 1 tbsp lemon juice • 1/2 tsp kosher salt • 1/2 tsp ground pepper • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 1/4 cup parsley leaves
Directions 1. In a 6-qt slow cooker, combine beans, broth, onion, carrots, rosemary, and Parmesan rind. Top with chicken. Cover and cook on low until the beans and vegetables are tender, about 7–8 hours. 2. Remove chicken from slow cooker. On a clean cutting board, let the chicken rest until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Shred the chicken and discard bones. 3. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in kale. Cover and cook on high until kale is tender, 20–30 minutes. 4. Stir in lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Discard the Parmesan rind. Serve the stew drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Scarf Sledding Tradition Wonderland
Hibernation Igloo Layers Penguin
Cocoa Fleece Frost Gloves
You can fax, email, or mail your completed puzzle for a chance to win our monthly prize!
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Toll free (800) 828-2226
Fax (727) 577-4991
www.vermost.com
newsletter@vermost.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1200 Belcher Road South, Suite 1 Largo, FL 33771 www.vermost.com (727) 748-2886
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
You Make Us Happy
We Insure More Than Just Cars and Homes Here's a list of some of our lines of protection:
Thank you for recently referring your friends, family, and coworkers to our agency. With your help, our Vermost Insurance family keeps growing. We hope our referral program makes you happy, too! People who referred clients to us in December:
› Antique vehicles › Annuities › Auto › Boat/RV › Bonds › Builders' risk › Commercial auto › Commercial property › Condo › Dental › Disability › Employee benefits
› Flood › General liability › Health › Home › ID theft › Life › Mobile home › Motorcycle/Jet ski › Notary public
Linda Hicks Ronald Andrews Brittany Williams Dixon Thomas Belzey
Barbara Cleaver Michael Boland Felix Hill Larry Lasagni Marines Aviles
December Puzzle Winner: Catherine Flynn December Referral Winner: Felix Hill
› Umbrella › Workers'
compensation
... and more!
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1200 Belcher Rd. S., Suite 1 Largo, FL 33771-3315
Phone: (727) 748-2886
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